Circa May-June 2006 mount Merapi at Central Java, Indonesia, seemed to get sick.
It "caughed" and got "cold" all the time, spilling out the red lava and hot clouds, as well as spreading out the volcanic ash to the cities around.
Some people said that the name of Merapi is derived from the old javanese words of "meru" (mountain) and "api" (fire). No wonder, it has been one of the most active volcano on earth. And I guess, I became a Merapi seeker...
view of Merapi, an evening at Wedi, Klaten
I found the thrilling sensation whenever I saw the active Merapi. That's why, I seek for the best views of Merapi everywhere.
I visited Ketep, a little village in Magelang that is located on the slope of the caughing mountain,
I visited Kemalang, another little village in Klaten regency, and whenever I passed through the route, I eagerly watched the glory of the power of nature...
Human are nothing but the fragile creatures... I saw thousands of people from the villages around the crater living in refugee camps everynight. Sad, but it reminds me that nature is still unbeatable power.
Ketep, Magelang. Trees were covered by volcanic ash. 
A chilling night at Kemalang, Klaten, where public vehicles were not allowed to pass, 8 km from the peak...
and that's what we witnessed from Kemalang: sparkling lava!
I still keep many other photos of Merapi in my PC. Some were taken from the air, when I flew from Jogja to Denpasar, Bali, and when I went back from Mataram to Jogja. In many weeks, Merapi had been a thrilling beauty. And again, I was lucky to have chances to see.
